As the ASEAN summit wraps up, the Sydney Declaration has subtly taken Australia’s relationship with its closest Asian neighbours into new territory after a diverse week of engagement from soccer to social entrepreneurs.

Think tanks are a source of both fascination and fear for the media. The reality of efforts to influence policy-making is far more prosaic and think tanks continue to evolve to survive in a changing political landscape.

Allan Gyngell, the National President of the Australian Institute of International Affairs, discussed the challenges posed by China’s growth at a recent NZIIA conference and warned that ‘winter is coming’.

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The attributes which make crypto-assets so appealing are what also makes them dangerous. The IMF is taking steps to ensure ensure financial integrity and protect consumers in the crypto world just as it has for the traditional financial sector.

Despite its ‘green’ image, Australia has a woeful environmental record and the Federal Government’s draft conservation strategy will do little to protect our fragile natural environment. Australia’s Ecological Society offers 9 ways to improve the proposed policy before it is too late.

Over five decades, ASEAN has helped to strengthen Southeast Asian political and economic relations, but important changes are required to ensure it remains relevant, including the addition of at least one more member state.

Australia needs a lot more than luck or a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude to thrive in the uncertain and hyper competitive 21st century. Without a national strategy, the shaping of Australia’s destiny will be left to fate at best, or to foreign influence at worst.

With consistent research showing one in five young people have experienced cyberbullying, the eSafety Office is encouraging parents to talk to their children about how they engage online on a National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence.

Christine Craik, President of The Australian Association of Social Workers, calls for significant and immediate action to address the entrenched inequality and disadvantage faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on National Close the Gap Day.

The scandal surrounding the exploitation of vulnerable local people by Oxfam workers has rocked the international development sector but activists and organisations alike should seize this opportunity to re-examine the future of foreign aid.

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